Warrior
by Ranger indecisive
Summary: Inspired by the song Warrior by Beth Crowley. please read and review. Cassandra and Horace pairing. 'The nightmares go Cassandra, there all in your head, you just have to believe you're strong, to keep them out.' She leant over and put her head on his shoulder. He didn't seem to mind. 'Do you think I'm strong' Her voice sounded sleepy. 'Yes, I think you're a warrior.'


**Hello guys( wow i start most things like that, need something else like Hi bro's, hey there lesbians or maybe my wonderfully amazing minions! :P)**

**this one shot was inspired by this song at the top by beth crowley. it's a really good song, i think anyway :P**

**please read and review.**

**Warrior**** by Beth Crowley.**

**You fascinate in me, cloaked in shadows and security**

**The beauty of a broken angel**

**I ventured carefully, afraid of what you thought I'd be**

**But pretty soon I was entangled**

**You take me by the hand**

**I question who I am**

**Teach me how to fight, I'll show you how to win**

**You're my mortal flaw and I'm your fatal sin**

**And let me feel the sting, the pain the burn under my skin**

**Put me to the test, I'll prove that I am strong**

**I'll let myself believe that what we feel is wrong**

**I finally see what you knew inside me all along**

**That behind this soft exterior, lies a warrior**

**My memory refused to separate the lies from truth**

**And search the past my mind created**

**I kept on pushing through, standing resolute with you**

**In equal measure loved and hated**

**You take me by the hand**

**I'm seeing who I am**

**Teach me how to fight, I'll show you how to win**

**You're my mortal flaw and I'm your fatal sin**

**And let me feel the sting, the pain the burn under my skin**

**Put me to the test, I'll prove that I am strong**

**I'll let myself believe that what we feel is wrong**

**I finally see what you knew inside me all along**

**That behind this soft exterior, lies a warrior**

**Lies a warrior**

**You take me by the hand**

**I'm sure of who I am**

**Teach me how to fight, I'll show you how to win**

**You're my mortal flaw and I'm your fatal sin**

**And let me feel the sting, the pain the burn under my skin**

**Put me to the test, I'll prove that I am strong**

**I'll let myself believe that what we feel is wrong**

**I finally see what you knew inside me all along**

**That behind this soft exterior, lies a warrior**

**The pictures come to life, wake in the dead of night**

**Open my eyes, I must be dreaming**

**Clutch my pillow tight**

**Raise myself for the fight**

**I've heard that seeing is believing**

* * *

**"The pictures come to life, wake in the dead of night"**

_The man walked slowly towards her. A knife resting harmlessly in his right hand. A smile touched his face. As she looked towards him she couldn't see his eyes, but his manner looked so polite and care-free she couldn't believe he meant to harm her. The man stopped next to her and slowly her crouched down._

_White snow drifted around them. The picture froze for a moment. His care-free smile. The knife's blade pointing harmlessly into the cold snow. Her blond hair tickling her pale face. _

_Then he looked at her. His eyes deep empty sockets, without any eye-bulls. She screamed but it felt empty in her tight trough. _

_Suddenly she felt the cold blade at her trough. The man, still smiling, added pressure to the blade and she felt hot blood trickle down her neck._

_He placed the knife back in his belt and stood up coking his head to one side. His hand went back to his belt and side his sword from it. The man seemed to study the blade, watching light dance off it._

_He spun it blade checking its balance and seeming happy, took aim. His feet shoulder length apart. Jumping on the balls of his feet. The sword made a down wards ark, head straight for her neck…_

_She screamed._

**"Clutch my pillow tight"**

She screamed. Waking, tangled in silk sheets. Shivering. Cold. Frightened. Alone. Safe.

Cassandra sighed and pushed the sheets off her legs. She sung them over the bed and stood up. She felt dizzy on her feet, and clutched her head. She walked over to the door and stepped outside.

Walking in the middle of the night, wearing a white dress that floated in the wind and blond hair that shone silver in the moon light she looked almost like a stricken ghost. Only her eyes, huge and green, looked remotely normal.

Cassandra walked through the corridors of the castle, so normal but so un-normal to her. Her bare feet, making no noise at all, tugging her elbows with her shaking hands.

The nightmares had plagued her ever since she had come back from Skandia with Will, Halt and Horace. Never the same nightmare, all different, in a twisted way. They frightened her.

When she was a younger she would run to her father, the king, how would still be up late into the night, signing reports and doing paper work, or even if her was asleep, she would climb into his bed and he would comfort her. He would sit and listen to her, and reassure her that she was safe and nothing would ever hurt her. That dreams where dreams, and not real.

Then later, when she grew older, she found that she couldn't tell her father everything. Instead she found comfort telling her maid and best-friend, her only real friend really. But she was dead.

Cassandra walked aimlessly, not really contracting, just thinking. So when she stopped at a dead end she was surprised. She looked around herself realising that she had found her way to Horace's chambers.

Hesitantly she reached out a shaking hand and knocked on the. She heard a chair scraping and soft footsteps, then the door swung open and Horace stood in a flood of light. Cassandra squinted.

**"I ventured carefully, afraid of what you thought I'd be"**

'Cassandra?' Horace said surprise evident in his voice.

'Horace, I hope I'm not disrupting anything.'

'No, not at all, come in please.'

She stepped lightly into his rooms. They were simple, a desk and chair and table and more chairs, cupboards and a door leading off, probably to his bedroom. She stepped closer to the fire, the light making her cheekbones look sharper, he eyes wider, the black circles around them bigger.

'Your cold, do you want a blanket?' He asked.

'Thank you.'

He walked off to the side room and reappeared holding a thick blanket in his large hands. He draped hit around her shoulders and smiled.

'So, um, did you want something?' He asked.

'No, I just needed to talk to someone, I think,' she said and it was the truth. Ever since she had started the nightmare she hadn't told anyone about them, instead bottling them inside her head and till she wanted to break into a hundred pieces.

'Ok I'm all ears,' he said dragging to chairs around the fire and signalling her to sit.

Cassandra told him everything, not leaving anything behind in her head. Horace sat next to her, no disrupting her story at any point, just looking at her.

At the end she took a deep breath and back at him. He had a thoughtful expression on his face, finally he smile at her.

'You know when I was smaller, just after my dad died, I started having nightmares too. My mother who I used to tell everything, shut herself in her bedroom and wouldn't come out. Not for food or water, all I heard was her crying. I couldn't tell anyone. Then my mother became ill and I looked after her, I told her everything about my dreams and do you what she said to me,' He stopped in his speech and stared into the flames, 'she said "to discover yourself you must face your dreams but to discover others you must face your nightmares." It didn't make any sense to me then but it does now.' He looked back at me and smiled again.

'I'm sorry, what happened to your mother?'

He looked away.

'Don't tell me if you don't want to,' she said hurriedly thinking she hurt him, opened old wounds.

'It's fine. She became so ill from not eating and drinking she just slowly became ill and laid in bed for weeks, in the end she cut her wrists and let herself bleed to death.'

Cassandra felt shocked, how could someone do that to themselves, even when they had a child, it was somehow so selfish.

'I'm so sorry Horace, I shouldn't have asked.'

'No I felt good telling someone, everyone thinks her illness killed her, well only a few other people know, but I think I can trust you.'

Cassandra reached over and put his hand in his. He hand looking so delicate a soft.

'Most of the people that found out judged me from my mother,' he said.

'I don't,' his eyes swung to hers. Blue to green.

'Really?'

'Really,' she confirmed.

'The nightmares go Cassandra, there all in your head, you just have to believe you're strong, to keep them out.'

She leant over and put her head on his shoulder. He didn't seem to mind.

'Do you think I'm strong?' Her voice sounded sleepy.

'Yes, I think you're a warrior.'

She fell asleep leaning on his shoulder, and he lifted her up lightly and walked over to his room. Carefully he placed her on his bed and walked out. She slept this time without any nightmares.

* * *

Horace jogged up the spiral stairs, witch, like all castle stairs, veered to the left to give a right handed swords-man a disadvantage. He felt strangely restless, he had been commanded go to the king's privet chambers after breakfast.

Breakfast had been slow. Helpings of eggs, bacon, bread and coffee had piled on his plate, which he normally shuffled down, but today he felt too nervous to eat anything. Hardly anyone good call by the king to see the king.

He tried to think what it was about. Maybe he'd done something wrong, which he believed he hadn't. He was polite to everybody and used people correct titles. He'd played nice on the training ground, playing by the rules. Maybe he was being sent on a mission, which seemed unlikely as he'd only been her for less than a month. Maybe he'd found out that his daughter had slept in his room only two nights before. He's been respectful of her privacy sleeping in a chair in his main room. He just didn't know.

As he neared the top, he slowed down.

_Calm down._

It was no use his chest felt tight and nervous.

_The king's not going to kill you. Seriously calm down._

He stopped to a deep breath and walked the rest of the way. He walked towards the guard on duty and said:

'The king sent for me.' the guard nodded and open the door for him.

Horace walked inside and noticed the richly furnished room; traps, carpets, paintings in silver frames, sofa's, a massive oak desk, and two people sitting by the fire place.

It was her. Blond hair. Green eyes. Beautiful. He coughed, Cassandra looked up from the book she was reading and her face lit up.

'Horace,' she said, her voice light and happy, different from the other day, when it was full of emotion. This was _Princess _Cassandra.

'Princess,' he said nodding, using one of many correct forms of address.

The other person sitting by the fire looked up, just like his daughter, the king, had blond hair but blue eyes instead of green.

'Horace.'

Horace came to attention, 'Your majesty.'

The king stood up and walked over to his desk, not looking at Horace. Suddenly the nervous feeling was back.

'You sent for me,' he said.

'Yes I did,' the king sat down at his desk and cocked his head looking at him, 'Um…'

Horace looked over to Cassandra who was looking towards her father with amusement, 'Oh come one dad. Just tell him.'

The King laughed, 'Okay Horace, it seems that my daughter has be-friended you.'

Horace looked at Cassandra again. She was smiling.

'And so you'll know when she has an idea, no matter how crazy it is she'll do it anyway.'

Horace nodded, that was the Cassandra he saw. Brave.

**"Put me to the test, I'll prove that I am strong"**

'Well she, after annoying me for an extreme amount of time has decided that she wants you to train her how to fight.'

'Fight?' Horace repeated.

'Yes,' The King nodded, 'with a sword. Fight.'

'Okay,' Horace said.

Cassandra jumped out of her set, lightly, 'So can we Daddy?'

The king sighed then smiled, 'I don't think I really have a choice anyway.'

'Your right. You don't,' Cassandra smiled at Horace and her Dad.

* * *

**"Teach me how to fight"**

Cassandra spun to the left, slipping past Horace's blade.

'Good,' he nodded at her, 'Left, right, left, undercut, overhead, right, left-'

She blocked his sword, as he called the positions, her wooden sword crashing with his.

'Left, undercut, overhead, left, right, forward straight!'

She jumped backwards lightly his blade missing her by miller-meters.

'Left, left, right, left, overhead-'

His blade came out like a snake ready to bit her. She missed the last command, her blade dropping to low, and his overhead blow stopped just touching her hair.

'You're dead,' he smiled. 'You're getting a lot better you know.'

'I know.' Cassandra said lightly, and walked over to him.

Over the past two weeks, Cassandra and Horace had been out in the drill fields practicing her sword fighting, after the knight's had gone in. she was a quick learner, which made Horace's job a lot easier, but also they had become friends. Close friends.

'You want a break?'

**"I'll show you how to win"**

'Sure,' she said, but before he moved a muscle she stole his sword from his belt, holding it how he'd taught her, her blade pressing at his though.

'Come on. Give it back,' he said extending his arm for the sword, but instead he swung his arm around her small waist and hoist her onto his shoulder.

'Put me down,' she said laughing.

* * *

Cassandra lay on Horace's bed, a book open next to her. She was asleep. Her cheek cupped in one small hand, her other arm draped across her waist. She looked so small so delicate, that was the outside.

Horace sat next to her on the bed, his attention drifting away from the book he was reading. She was so beautiful. He kept on looking at her. The face that had become so familiar to him, he could remember and see every dent, line, and shape on her face without needing to look. The way she smiled, when the left side of her mouth went up a second before the right.

She smiled in her sleep making him smile. He closed the book and put in next him. He shuffled closer to her and took a straggling strand of blond hair and tucked it behind her ear.

Most days had been like this: Horace would finish his knights duty's and wait for Cassandra on the practise field and they would train and till Horace saw improvement. They would then head back to Horace's chambers and talk or read, sometimes Cassandra would write and draw, and Horace would watch her. Seeing the gracefulness of her hands as she drew.

He's seen a change in her. When she was out in public she was _Princess _Cassandra. When she was with him she was different. Open. She let her strong shell fall and she would tell him anything. He was the same. He found her so easy to talk to. So easy to be around. To be near.

Her expression changed and her breath became ragged, uneven. She rolled over in her sleep. The book she had been read flying off the bed.

**"But pretty soon I was entangled"**

Horace lifted her up on to his lap and shook her awake. Her eyes open wide and relief hit her like a ton of bricks. Her greens eyes filled with tears and she buried her head into his chest.

Horace surprised with the sudden show of emotion froze then hugged her back. Wapping his strong arms around her waist. Whispering in her ear words of comfort. She'd been coming to him when her nightmares came, always to him.

'Horace,' her voice sound small, weak. His Cassandra only used that voice.

'Yes, Cassie,' He'd started calling her that, it felt less formal in his mouth. Easier to him.

'I sorry.'

'What about?'

'I just burst into tears, I feel like an idiot,' she said looking down into her lap.

'You're not an idiot, your brave.'

'You think so?' She said.

Horace put his fingers under her chin and lifted it upwards. She was looking him straight in the eye.

'Really.'

* * *

'Sir Horace, would you like to dance?'

Horace spun around wildly, and smiled as he saw Cassandra standing behind him smiling. She was wearing a soft cream dress and a simple gold necklace, with a locket on the end. Her hair was in a messy bun with sections of hair falling out of it. She looked like an angel.

'It would be my pleasure princess,' he said returning the smile.

He offered her his arm and she slid her through.

'You look like a princess tonight,' he said grinning.

'You think?' He voice was layered with sarcasm but she was smiling too.

**"The beauty of a broken angel"**

He took her hand and bowed. The song was a fast with a happy feeling to it. Horace and Cassandra circled the floor, her spinning every once in a while. She moved with a delicate grace that he'd seen when she was fighting.

She was light one her feet, as he was. She had good balance, like him.

As Horace spun Cassandra again he felt someone looking at him. He snapped him head around to see the king staring at them. The king caught his eye and grinned. He looked back at Cassandra and said:

'Your fathers looking at us.'

They turned and she peaked over his shoulder, 'so he is. Come on.' She led him off the dance floor and to a table in the corner.

'So Cassie, how's your birthday ball going?' Horace asked still smiling.

'Well you know, there's good food and fine wine. Half the people that sent me presents seem to think I need to brush my hair and the other look at my refection. Also there's dancing, I have a very good partner by the way, very hansom as well,' she said not looking at him.

'Oh what a disappointment then,' he said nodding his head. Then he burst out laughing and she with him.

'Come on I have a surprise for you,' He said taking he hand.

**"You take me by the hand**

**I'm seeing who I am"**

They walked out of the ball room and he led her back to his chambers. He open the door for her and they both stepped in.

'Wait here,' he told her and stepped lightly into the side bedroom.

He returned holding something long rapped in purple velvet. He placed it her hand and she slowly unwrapped it. She dropped the velvet on the floor holding a sword. It wasn't too fancy, with silver glint, to the iron blade and the handle a black leather but with a small silver bird on the cross piece. Also there was a scabbard which, she was sure, fit the sword perfectly.

'Horace this is the best present ever,' she said flinging herself at him and rapping her arms around his neck.

'Good but I have something else for you,' he said softly and she looked into his blues and he kissed her.

* * *

Cassandra walked onto the practice ground, looking for Horace. He was standing next to the fighting pit, watching to knight's swing swords at each other, trying to win. She smiled as she saw his contracted gaze, but it broke when he saw her. It always did.

She walked around the pit and towards him.

'Sir Horace, would you like to dance,' she asked him lightly.

'Indeed I would Princess,' he walked over to the sword rack and reached for two wooded blades.

'No sir Horace, real blades,' he looked at her unsure. They'd only ever practiced with wooden blades.

'Horace I ready,' she said losing the mocking tone.

He nodded and took a sword from the rack, she took the one he'd gave her from her belt and nodded towards the pit.

'Are you ready to get your butt kicked?' she said laughing.

'Are you?' He said following her.

They circled each other than Cassandra leaped, her sword spinning for an overhead cut, that was perfectly aimed but Horace was quicker and stepped back causing her to lose balance. He grinned and she grinned back. He took advantage of her loss of balance and spun around aiming for a side cut which she flicked away.

She bounced at him going right to left back to left and right again. Making up patterns in her head. Horace blocked them easily and through his weight sideways making her step past him. He created a side cut again but she ducked underneath, and pounced at his legs making them both tumble to the ground. She was on top.

'Give up?' She asked.

'Nowhere near,' he replied and spun them sideways making him on top.

Horace looked around and saw a crowd had gathered, not every day you saw the Princess fighting.

Cassandra braced herself and, take advantage of Horace's lack of attention, kicked him in the balls. A sound out 'ouch' run through the crowd as well as laugher and clapping.

Horace rolled over in pain, 'I told you I'd kick your butt, just not which part,' Cassandra said smiling and got up.

'Okay fine, you win,' he said.

'Good idea,' she laughed and reached out her hand.

He grasped it and pulled her back down. She lay next to him laughing, she turned her head to face him and him to her.

'I think that's enough fighting for one day,' he said painfully.

* * *

They walked back to Cassandra's chambers, hand in hand. Cassandra grinning every time she saw Horace limp and him grinning despite himself.

'It's not that funny,' he said.

'It really is.'

* * *

They sat on Cassandra's bet, her head resting on his shoulder. Their hands entwined. Cassandra could feel the heat under his shit. Could smell what he was smelt of: sunshine, metal and grass.

'Cassie?' Horace asked.

'Yes.'

'Have your nightmares stopped?'

'Mostly. Why?' She asked looking up into his blue eyes.

'You hardly ever come to me at night, I was just wondering,' he said in a dismissive tone, but she saw through it and realised that he missed them nights, and strangely she did too.

'Oh, well yer they're mostly gone, you were right it's all in my head.'

He rapped an arm around her waist and squeezed it.

'I'm _always_ right,' he said laughing.

'No but seriously thank you.'

Horace traced her cheek bone, 'do you know why I love you.'

'No I don't,' she said.

'It's because you, like everybody else need protecting, but that's the outside. On the outside your soft. On the inside you're like a flame that just burns brighter and brighter. Cassandra you're a warrior.'

Cassandra thought about this. Horace could read her like a book, the letters writing in large letters. The way her hugged her he wrapped his arms not afraid to hurt her, because she was small. Unlike her dad or Will or anyone else who were genital, like if they even touched her she would break.

'You really think so?'

'I do. I really do.'

**And the all lived heterosexually ever after. please review XD **


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